Now the kids need you less, what comes next?
- Jess Spiers
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
There’s a shift that happens in your 40s and it can catch you off guard.
Your babies are no longer babies.
The fog of sleepless nights, soft play and CBeebies is lifting. You’ve got a bit more time and headspace.
And all of a sudden you can hear a question bubbling up:
“Now what?”
You’ve spent years in service of everyone else
If you're anything like me, your 30s were about keeping your career ticking over while growing a family. Head down. Get it done. Be reliable. Be grateful.
And now here you are in your 40s with experience, stability and perspective.
But also a feeling that something’s shifted. That you’re no longer the same person you were when you chose this career path.
The old goals don’t excite you anymore and the career that once felt like a good fit now feels like just a job.
The in-between space
It’s not a crisis but you are questioning things.
You’ve achieved a lot but you’re craving meaning again. You want more - not because you’re greedy or restless but because you’re finally able to listen to yourself again now the outside noise is quieter.
You might not want to go right back to the beginning but staying still doesn’t feel quite right either.
This was me, too
I hit this point after 20 years of corporate digital content work - leading teams, writing everything from website copy to podcasts, managing projects, delivering results.
And I was (still am) proud of that.
But deep down I knew I was made for something else. I wanted to work differently. I wanted more freedom. I wanted to help others figure out the second half of their working lives too.
So I trained as a coach alongside my content job. I left the golden cage of corporate and started my business. I started to design a career that brings me actual joy.
What about you?
If you’re reading this and nodding, I want you to know that you’re definitely not too late. There’s a good 20 years of your career left to fill with more joy.
If you’re not sure where to start, my free Career Clarity Quiz is a gentle but powerful first step.
It takes 10 minutes and reveals your top 1-3 career must-haves - then you've got something concrete to work with.
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